Demography
Today a small minority of German-speaking people live in southern Jutland, exactly north of Sleswig. The Dukes of Schleswing and Holstein were for a long time under the orders of the Holy Roman Empire, a question that was used to stay independent. The northern area of Schleswing became part of Denmark with the Treaty of Versailles. Today, a large part of the population in the border areas speaks both languages.
Most of the population of Inuit origin lives in Greenland ; the Faroe Islands have a Nordic population that speaks their own language. Education is compulsory from ages seven to 16 and is free up to university level.
The Danish People’s Church is supported by the state and, according to 2002 data, 84.3% of Danes practice this religion. Denmark allows freedom of religion. Today 12 different religions are practiced throughout the country.
Population
According to Naturegnosis.com, Denmark has a population of about 5,500,000 residents, which gives a population density of about 127 h / km². It is one of the countries in the world in which the demographic transition was completed before, and its end was not as abrupt as in most countries. Since the 1950s, population growth has been around 0%. In this way, although the population is aging, at present the phenomenon is not as pronounced as in other countries.
Current population growth is around 0.3%, despite a positive migration balance of 2.5 ‰. The birth rate is very low, it is around 11 ‰, which gives a fertility rate of 1.7 children per woman. The mortality rate is very low, about 10 ‰, and the infant mortality rate is much lower, about 4.5 ‰, as corresponds to a country in which quality health care reaches the entire population. The Danish population is not evenly distributed, despite the fact that throughout the country the natural conditions for human settlement are similar. The large islands are much more inhabited:
Zealand 290 h / km²
Fiona 134 h / km²
Lolland-Falster 134 h / km²
Bornholm 80 h / km²
Jutland 80 h / km²
Culture
The culture Danish is characterized by simplicity, minimalism, egalitarianism, good manners and decorum. Culture is an important part of Danish life and much is done to promote it. Public authorities avoid interfering in the world of art and culture, and the State generously supports the community of creators and cultural institutions, without demanding responsibility or return.
Danish applied arts and industrial design is recognized around the world for its high standards of quality, craftsmanship and functionalism. He has won many awards for excellence. Georg Jensen is known worldwide for his modern silver design. Danish design is also a well-known brand, often associated with world-famous designers and architects such as Børge Mogensen, Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, who gave what is probably the most famous chair in the world today – The Ant.
Literature
Hans Christian Andersen, Karen Blixen and Søren Kierkegaard play a key role in the Danish contribution to world literature.
Because of these three writers, in 2005 Danish literature was the center of attention around the world for the commemoration of a triple anniversary: 200 years since the birth of Hans Christian Andersen, 150 since the death of Søren Kierkegaard and 120 of the birth of Karen Blixen, who wrote under the pseudonym Isak Dinesen.
HC Andersen’s literature deserves a separate chapter, since his stories are known on five continents and have been the starting point for numerous theatrical performances, films, musical recordings and illustrations.
But from the remote beginnings of Danish literature to the present day, these have not been the only works, nor have they been the only writers who have drawn the attention of the rest of the world to Denmark.
Music
Denmark has two operas, seven stable symphony orchestras, six conservatories, 7,000 syndicated professional musicians and composers, more than 100 music festivals and a national network of music schools for children and young people. In the commercial music sector, Denmark has a large number of music producers and publishers, some of the most important of which have passed into foreign hands.
Musical life was institutionalized in the 19th century, according to European models and thanks to private initiatives. Conservatories and orchestras were founded, publishing houses were created and the practice of music flourished under the protection of private associations. This model was transformed around the year 1930, when the new media, the gramophone and the radio, progressively replaced the “live” musical performance.
Since then, it has come to be considered that the training of musicians, subsidies and the development of musical activity at all levels and for the entire country were the exclusive responsibility of the State. This trend is reflected in the 1976 Music Act, which has a decentralized subsidy policy as its principle. Grants for music have grown considerably over the years, so jazz, rock, and experimental music have also benefited.
Classical music
Over the last few years there has been talk of a new golden age of Danish classical music. The first golden age, which was the true flowering of music and musical life in Denmark, is located in the first half of the 19th century, while this second has its beginning in the nineties. Today an enormous number of pieces are composed and performed and an average of 300 works are premiered annually.
Noteworthy is the increase in productivity when it comes to stage works, a terrain clearly dominated by chamber opera. In addition, in the year 2000, the first performance in thirty years of a new long-playing opera, The Tale of the Maid by Poul Ruders (1949 -), took place at the Royal Theater, a great success that has several performances scheduled abroad..
The capital of Jazz
In the 1960s and 70s, Copenhagen became famous as the international jazz capital, as several American jazz musicians settled in Denmark during different periods. Names such as Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster and Thad Jones, played with Danish jazz musicians on the Copenhagen jazz scene and had a great influence on Danish musical life, most notably by helping to create a multitude of Danish jazz musicians, venues Danish music and jazz festivals.
Festivals
The Copenhagen Jazz Festival, which takes place in early July, is still legendary and draws a huge crowd of jazz fans, who enjoy the entire city bustling with jazz for the two-week festival. More than 500 concerts are held within all genres of jazz, from 15 open-air stages and 50 music halls. Other great jazz festivals are the Aarhus International Jazz Festival and the Riverboat Jazz Festival in Silkeborg.
Architecture
Those interested in architecture will discover that Denmark is a country full of contrasts: from a restored medieval church opposite the House of Music in Esbjerg designed by Jørn and Jan Utzon, the new Royal Library in Copenhagen ; the modern Black Diamond or the Blue Planet Aquarius.
In Denmark, you can enjoy all kinds of architecture, from the historic architecture seen in the castles and churches of the country, as in the old quarters of the cities, to the contemporary Danish architecture found in every corner of the country. In both modern city buildings and new bridges across the Store Bælt and Øresund straits.
